blue 2
Blue 2 (indigotine) is a synthetic dye with no nutritional role in pet food. Why it is there, and how Bowlmark scores artificial colors.
Also appears on labels as: blue no. 2 · fd&c blue no. 2 · fd&c blue 2 · indigotine · indigo carmine · e132
What it is
Blue 2 — indigotine, or FD&C Blue No. 2 — is the synthetic version of indigo, the pigment that colors denim. In food it tints pieces blue or, blended with yellows, green.
Why it's in pet food
Like the rest of the certified synthetic dyes, its audience is the person pouring the bowl. It signals variety in multi-piece kibbles and does nothing for the animal eating it.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
The additive pillar deducts 12 points per distinct artificial dye on the label — Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Red 3, Blue 1, and Blue 2 — capped at 36 points, each shown as a warning flag.
Foods that list blue 2
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
- Purina Cat Chow Indoor Hairball + Healthy Weight65
- Tabby Republic Crunchy Dinners Chicken Flavor65
- Fancy Feast With Savory Chicken & Turkey61
- Purina Cat Chow Complete61
- Purina Cat Chow Complete with Salmon61
- Friskies Indoor Delights Dry Cat Food With Flavors of Chicken, Salmon, Peas & Carrots60
- Meow Mix Original Choice59
- Old Quarry Complete Adult Crunchy Bites58
Compare foods that list blue 2
Same species, same form, both scored — closest scores first, so the comparison is a real one.
- Fancy Feast With Savory Chicken & Turkey vs Purina Cat Chow Complete
- Fancy Feast With Savory Chicken & Turkey vs Purina Cat Chow Complete with Salmon
- Purina Cat Chow Complete vs Purina Cat Chow Complete with Salmon
- Fancy Feast With Savory Chicken & Turkey vs Friskies Indoor Delights Dry Cat Food With Flavors of Chicken, Salmon, Peas & Carrots
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Blue 2 in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/blue-2
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- Last verified August 9, 2026
No stored score to stamp yet — the engine and config above are the ones a scan runs today.